Assessor FAQ

What are the benefits of being licensed to use S-CORE?

You get trained to use the tool properly so your results will be meaningful. There are a number of subtleties to using the tool.

You get the latest versions of the assessments and other important information. A number of assessments including some sector assessments and S-CORE for Small Business are not available in The Business Guide to Sustainability and the assessments that are in the book may be outdated, so this is the only way to get access to the full set of assessments.

You get access to the S-CORE licensee resources, which includes the online system for gathering the data and producing a report. The S-CORE Resources includes a glossary, resources, recommendations database and discussion forum to share ideas with other licensees and participate in improving the tool.

You will be listed as a licensee on the S-CORE website.

Who can become licensed?

S-CORE licensing is appropriate for people who already have a strong grasp of sustainability concepts, frameworks and practices. That is because S-CORE refers to many of these and the licensed assessor must be able to explain them. Consultants become licensed to add this valuable service to their toolkit and internal practitioners become licensed to do S-CORE for their own organization year after year, saving on consulting fees.

Do I know enough to be a S-CORE licensed assessor?

For a quick self-quiz, you should be familiar with all these abbreviations: TNS, LEED, EMS, ISO 14001, SA 8000, GRI.

How do I become licensed?

We keep a list of people who are interested then notify them when a public workshop opens up or there are enough to hold a distance learning class. We usually offer the distance learning class (live training using technology, spread out over 4 weeks) usually in January and June. Just email info (at) sustainabilityprofessionals (dot) org and we'll add your name. The course is US$495 but we offer group and early registration discounts.

What is involved in taking the class?

The class is structured as a four-week distance learning class (live, instructor-led but all online). You must be available to attend four (4) one-and-a-half hour webinars. You will also have to do 3-5 hours of work each week, and turn in several assignments. The required text book for the course, The Business Guide to Sustainability by Darcy Hitchcock and Marsha Willard, must be purchased separately. It is available from Routledge (be sure to purchase the 2nd edition, which has the green cover).

How do I register for the next class?

Click here to see the ISSP calendar of classes to find the next class. You will be able to register on the S-CORE class description page.

What if I don't want to wait till the next class?

There are a couple other alternatives:

You can take the class as a self-study correspondence course. You work through the course on your own and turn in a few assignments which we then give you feedback on. This option requires that you be disciplined about scheduling time to complete the course. It is the same price as the distance learning class mentioned above ($495US).

You can hire us to do S-CORE for your organization (or if you're a consultant, one of your clients) and we can license you through that scope of work.

If you are part of an organization that would like to sponsor a public workshop (e.g., through a university, trade/ professional association) and can get 15-30 people together, we can do a workshop for you and share some of the proceeds with the organization.

Who is already licensed to use S-CORE?

You can see a list of people who have been licensed by us on the S-CORE website (www.Sustainability-CORE.com).

What software is used?

S-CORE is now a web-based tool, so all you need is a computer with internet access and a current version of a commonly used internet browser such as IE, Firefox, Chrome, or Safari. You may also want to have a projector and screen. It is possible to complete it offline as well if you can't get an Internet connection; you simply upload or enter the data later.

Once licensed can I change the wording in S-CORE?

No, not on your own. We have a systematic process for updating S-CORE based on feedback from our licensees and our own experience. You may not, on your own, change the wording of S-CORE, in part because that would mess up the benchmarking. And it's copyrighted. You will need to interpret the items for each client because each client is a little different. We teach you how to do this as part of the training.

Once I'm licensed, do I have to pay anything each time I do S-CORE?

Yes, we charge a small fee (currently $100) each time you do S-CORE. This fee covers the cost of maintaining the system, storing your data, and supporting you as a licensee. Quantity discounts are available and ISSP Members receive a discount on the use fee. If you are a consultant, you can pass this fee onto your clients in the same way as if you were to do a personality styles assessment such as Myers Briggs.

Do I have to become licensed to use S-CORE?

It depends who you are and how you plan to use it:

Sustainability consultants: If you plan to use S-CORE with clients, you must become licensed. This ensures that you understand how to use the tool and gives you access to the most recent versions, the latest benchmarks, and other important materials. It also protects ISSP's intellectual property and the image of S-CORE.

Internal practitioners: If you want to use S-CORE within your own organization to compare different departments/divisions or compare overall corporate results to other organizations, you need to be licensed. You can also use S-CORE as an outreach and evaluation tool with suppliers and customers.

Do-it-yourself: If you purchase a copy of The Business Guide to Sustainability (we recommend the second edition) you may use the paper-and-pencil version of the assessments in the book for your own organization. However, you don't benefit from our analysis and don't get the benchmark data to compare yourself to other organizations.